Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Youth: The Key to Overriding Violent Nationalism
- Benjamin Selimotic
- Oct 28
- 5 min read
The Old Bridge in Mostar was rebuilt. Why does the divide beneath it still stand?
Benjamin Selimotic | October 28, 2025
From Coexistence to Division
Before the devastating war of the 1990s tore Bosnia and Herzegovina apart, the city of Mostar was a shining example of ethnic diversity in the former Yugoslavia. With a high rate of interethnic marriages, it demonstrated that multiple identities could coexist. Tragically, the war shattered this fragile reality.
Mostar emerged as one of the fiercest battlegrounds in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Croatian Defense Council's destruction of the Old Bridge — a historical landmark that had stood for 1,500 years — symbolized more than just the loss of an iconic landmark. It was a concerted effort to erase the very idea of coexistence.
The reconstruction of the bridge in 2006 represented a vital step toward reconciliation, as emphasized by peacebuilding scholar Susan Forde. Yet, despite the impressive rebuild of the stone arch, the social fabric that once unified the community beneath it has never fully healed. This underscores the urgent need for the youth of Bosnia and Hercegovina to rise as champions of tolerance and advocates for a future where diversity is celebrated, not feared.
Football as a Proxy Battleground
Unfortunately, nationalist ideologies currently strongly dominate public life in Mostar. Although Croats and Bosniaks live in proximity, they often lead parallel lives. Segregated schools, divided curricula, and the system known as “two schools under one roof” reinforce this separation and are cynically exploited by political parties to gain support and to stay in power. These same divisions are also reflected in sports, particularly in football, which has become a prominent arena where these identity politics play out, acting as a proxy battleground for competing ethno-political affiliations.
The rivalry between the two major football clubs, HŠK Zrinjski and FK Velež is far more than just a sports competition; it reflects Mostar’s deepest fault lines. Zrinjski, tied to Croat identity and dominating on the west part of the city, and Velež with Bosniaks on the east. Matches between these two teams are charged with symbolism and often escalate into violence. What was once limited to the stadiums has now spilled into the streets, where hooligan factions assert control over various parts of the city. Incidents of beatings, kidnappings, and organized attacks have tragically become a nearly weekly occurrence.
The cycle is grimly predictable. One week, members of Zrinjski’s “Ultras” are ambushed, tied up, and stripped of their banners. The following week, Velež’s “Red Army” suffers the same fate in reverse. Retaliation begets retaliation, while the police remain conspicuously absent. This silence speaks volumes about the corruption that underpins the system. For many teenagers, supporting one of these clubs is no longer just about loyalty to a favorite team; it has become a declaration of national and political allegiance, deepening the invisible divide that separates Mostar’s east and west.
The current state of division in Bosnia is not accidental. Nationalist parties, which dominate the country's political landscape, exploit youth as a political tool to strengthen their nationalist bases. The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) openly supports HŠK Zrinjski, while the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) backs FK Velež. Instead of addressing pressing issues such as youth unemployment, corruption, and mass emigration, these two political parties recycle grievances from the wartime era and football rivalries as means of mobilization, often leading to violent outcomes.
Youth’s Catch 22
Bosnia’s existing political system actively cultivates ethno-political radicalization among youth, rather than fostering opportunities for them to connect, reconcile, and work together. Political parties propagate narratives that paint young people as staunchly nationalistic, creating a dangerous self-fulfilling prophecy. When a generation is constantly defined in this light, many begin to internalize these restrictive labels. Consequently, political discourse not only shapes but also reinforces their identities, trapping them in a cycle of division and conflict.
Yet, away from the headlines, young people are quietly pushing back against externally imposed divisions. For example, young musicians from various communities come together at the Mostar Rock School. The United World College in Mostar provides a place for Croats, Bosniaks, and Serbs to engage in educational exchange, allowing them to live and learn together with students from all over the world. Environmental campaigns also bring the country’s youth together around common concerns. While these efforts may not receive public recognition, spaces for coexistence and cooperation persist. Aida Premilovac, a Democratic Development Officer in Mostar with the European Organization for Security and Co-operation, first highlighted this to me back in 2021 during a research project. I interviewed Premilovac, who shared her insights on initiatives separate from ethnic centers. These initiatives, focusing on music and the environment, have been highly effective in shaping identities not solely defined by ethno-political categories. Four years later, this perspective still holds. This trend indicates that, although political divisions remain deep-rooted, younger generations are finding their own paths—creating small but significant openings in the city’s walls of division.
Disaster Unites
Nationalism can divide, but moments of catastrophe often engender unity. Bosnia’s natural disasters, such as the 2014 floods and the Jablanica landslide a decade later, have revealed a different side of the country, where empathy transcends ethnicity. Supporters of rival football clubs, HŠK Zrinjski and FK Velež, have come together to organize aid, deliver food, and rebuild homes after such events. This collaboration highlights the potential for solidarity amidst conflict.
Sociologist Sarina Bakić from the University of Sarajevo notes that extreme situations can evoke feelings of togetherness, reminding people of life’s fragility. However, Bakić warns that these instances of unity are typically short-lived. Once the immediate threat passes, people return to their divided routines, and politics shift back to ethnic divides. Grassroots solidarity during times of disaster, while powerful, is not enough to counteract Bosnia’s powerful forces of nationalism. As long as education remains polarized, corruption thrives, and migration is seen as the primary option for youth seeking jobs, nationalism will prevail. The challenge is to transform the unity born from crises into a lasting civic commitment that persists beyond tragedy.
An Alternative Way
Bosnian youth find themselves in a contradiction: they are often seen as pawns of political elites, while at other times, they are celebrated as the hope for reconciliation. The reality lies somewhere in between, with some young people embracing elements of nationalism, while others quietly reject its more extreme aspects.
Immediate steps are essential to help Bosnia emerge reconciled rather than divided. This includes educational reform, the promotion of sports free from ethnic biases, and investment in job opportunities for youth, ensuring they don’t feel compelled to seek opportunities elsewhere. The international community, particularly the European Union, must prioritize the needs of young people, alongside constitutional reform and political negotiations, to strengthen Bosnia’s future stability.
Mostar was once a symbol of coexistence before it became a symbol of division. Today, it embodies both. Although the Old Bridge stands once again, whether it serves to connect or divide in the long run will depend on the upcoming generations who cross it. Youth empowered to envision a future beyond radical nationalism are the greatest hope.
